Samantha Bucchino, 10, is collecting stuffed animals to send to the students of Sandy Hook Elementary School. She said despite the circumstances, she still wants them to have a good Christmas.
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It's been several days since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, but the tragedy is still at the forefront of many Americans' hearts and minds. And it's not only parents and teachers who were shaken up by Friday's events.

One 10-year-old Carlsbad girl said she cried when she heard the news, and she decided right away that she had to do something to help.

Samantha Bucchino looks like your average fifth-grader, but some would say she has a bigger heart than most. Touched by the school shooting that affected young children, Bucchino said all she can think about is how those surviving kids still need to have a good Christmas.

"My mom told me about the shooting in Connecticut, and I felt really bad," said Bucchino. "I was about to cry."

Over the weekend, Bucchino came up with the idea - all on her own, she said - to send stuffed animals as Christmas presents to the surviving students of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

"They might not have a very good Christmas, and they might have the memory in their heads," said Bucchino. "I wanted them to forget about that and know that many people are caring for them."

And to show how much she cares, Bucchino decided to ask her peers in Carlsbad schools and in the community to help her out by donating "new or already loved" teddy bears and other stuffed animals to send along with her own stash at the end of the week.

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She's calling it "Teddies of Joy for Sandy Hook," and she made fliers for around town and even appeared on the radio to advertise on Dec. 17 and 18.

Tuesday was the first day of collection, and Puckett Elementary School where Bucchino attends became "bear central," said Principal Deborah Beard. Three large boxes were overflowing with the furry toys as many students dropped off their donations throughout the day.

Some also handmade Christmas cards for the East Coast students.
Bucchino said she is taking full responsibility for counting the teddy bears and packing the boxes. The money for shipping will come from Puckett's PTA, and Bucchino said she has already received monetary donations from Walmart, the school district's administration office and the local post office.

Mary Smith, Bucchino's teacher, said it didn't surprise her at all that a 10-year-old decided to organize a gift drive for kids she doesn't even know.
"We have very caring students at Puckett," Smith said.

And while Bucchino may be the youngest individual in Carlsbad raising money for Sandy Hook, others in Carlsbad are taking action to help the grieving in Newton, Conn., too.
Jake Tipton of Reliable Automotive on Canal Street said the company will be donating 10 percent of all manual labor transactions, such as $30 oil changes, through Jan. 1 to the victims' families.

Tipton said Reliable Automotive has already been accused of using this tragedy to gain extra business, but he said that was not at all the intent.

Because two of Tipton's co-owners have small children, the tragedy hit close to home for the business, and in the end, it doesn't matter what the critics think, said Tipton.

They, like Bucchino and many others across the nation, hope to make a small difference in the lives of grieving people.